When the Tests are Miracles

Divine Providence or coincidence? The choice – and challenge – is yours.

The Talmud relates that after the destruction of our Holy Temple, Rabbi Akiva and the Sages of Israel were walking on the streets of Jerusalem. As they came to the Temple Mount, they beheld a devastating sight. There, where the Sanctuary had once stood in majesty and splendor, where the Holy of Holies had been, were only ruins, and wild foxes were roaming about.

The Sages broke down and wept.

"Woe is us," they wailed, "that we have seen this with our own eyes."

But Rabbi Akiva did not weep. Instead, he smiled.

"How can you smile at such a time?" his colleagues asked, shocked.

"I smile," Rabbi Akiva answered, "because today I have seen the fulfillment of prophecy, for the same prophet who foretold the destruction also foretold that the Temple shall be rebuilt. The same prophet who prophesied our exile, also prophesied that we shall return to Jerusalem in joy. And so I smile, for now that the first part of our prophecy has come to pass, the second part will surely come to be."

"Akiva," the Sages declared, "you have comforted us."

Even in the darkest moments, we knew that God did not forget us.

That smile of Rabbi Akiva kept our people going throughout the centuries, and even in the darkest moments, we knew that God did not forget us.

From the ashes of Auschwitz we rose like a phoenix, and, by the grace of God, reinvented ourselves as a nation. We rebuilt the Torah academies that were once the pride and glory of European Jewry and raised a new generation of sons and daughters to live by the Law of God.

After almost 2,000 years, we returned to our ancient land, and we, the dry bones of the Holocaust, were joined by Jews from the four corners of the world. They came from the most remote places – places where we were unaware that Jews even existed – the sick, the lame, the battered, the downtrodden, the poor, and the broken-hearted – they all came. And also the strong, the wise, the learned, the successful, the idealistic. Together, we formed a mighty company and were witness to the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophetic ingathering of the exiles.

"Fear not, My people, Israel, for I am with you.

"I will bring your seed from the east and gather them from the west, and I will say to the north, 'give up,' and to the south, 'Keep not back, bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 43:5-6).

At the genesis of our history, the Land of Israel was a paradise on earth, and we lovingly tilled her soil. When we were taken into exile, God made a promise that the land would revert to a wasteland and await our homecoming. Many nations tried to settle her, to rebuild her ruins, and bring forth her fruit, but the land would not yield to any of them and stubbornly remained a desert of thistles and stones. Throughout the long, painful centuries of our exile, we were denied the right to own land and all but forgot how to work the soil, and yet, when we returned, overnight, we converted that desert into a garden; planted orchards, vineyards, and forests; built highways and cities; and were witness to the miracle of a dormant land come to life again.

"I will restore the fortune of My people, Israel, and they shall rebuild the ruined cities and inhabit them. They shall plant vineyards and drink the wine and they shall plant gardens and eat the fruit" (Amos 9:14).

Even as we were blind to the wake-up calls of suffering, we were even more blind to the wake-up calls of blessings and victory.

During our infancy as a nation we defeated mighty kingdoms and were led in battle by valorous men like Joshua and David, but during our long torturous exile, we became fair game, to be reviled, attacked, and killed, and were denied the right to defend ourselves. And yet overnight, we, the battered remnant of the Holocaust, who had long forgotten how to fight, enlisted a powerful army and triumphed over more than one hundred million Arabs who had sworn to drive us into the sea. The awesomeness of it all should have given us pause, should have made us realize that God did not forget us, but even as we were blind to the wake-up calls of suffering, we were even more blind to the wake-up calls of blessings and victory.

In days of darkness, there are always those who turn to God, but in times of prosperity and success, it is easy to take God's blessings for granted. It is easy to become arrogant, easy to declare God's miracles "ordinary events," easy to delude ourselves into believing that "my strength and my might did all this" (Deuteronomy 8:17).

Nothing that occurs in life is a random event, that which we would term coincidence is also part of God's master plan. There are times, however, when the hand of God is hidden, but there are other moments when it is easier to discern His providence. Such was the time of the Six Day War. Not since Biblical times did we see miracles such as those we witnessed during that period. The combined forces of the Arab nations united to annihilate Israel. But it wasn't only the Arabs – former Nazi officers who had fled Germany at the end of WW II were ensconced in Cairo and Damascus and only too willing to share their Holocaust expertise. Russia not only encouraged and supported the Arabs, but provided them with the most sophisticated weaponry, as well as "advisors" to train them. Those were the days of the Cold War and the Communist countries eagerly supplied the Arabs with all the arms they needed. DeGaulle of France openly endorsed the Arabs and refused to deliver planes that Israel had paid for; England mouthed empty platitudes (they had already done their damage by training and equipping the crack Jordanian Arab Legion). The U.S. was mired in the war in Vietnam and President Lyndon Johnson told Abba Eban, the Israeli Foreign Minister, to practice restraint, while the State Department advised that U.S. involvement be limited to the framework of the UN. In short, the entire world was arrayed against Israel, and the Arabs were armed to the teeth.

Conventional wisdom saw Israel's defeat as a foregone conclusion. How could tiny Israel, overwhelmingly outnumbered, surrounded by enemies, prevail when no nation in the entire world was willing to help her? Once again, there was silence as the world readied itself for another Holocaust. But we, the Jewish people, were not silent, and in an unprecedented moment of unity turned to God in prayer and supplication.

I recall those days vividly. I remember how Jews who never went to synagogue, even on the High Holy Days, came to pray, and this held true not only for our community, but for Jews throughout the world. And more, we, the nation that had always been splintered, polarized, and divided, put aside our differences and became one in our love for Israel. Lines formed in front of every Israeli embassy, volunteers by the thousands offered their resources, their strength, their very lives.

In Israel itself, the nation responded above and beyond the call of duty. Debts were suspended and disputes were forgiven. Most adults were at the front. Youngsters took over the running of the social services and those who were in distant lands returned home to do battle for their country.

And then, the miracle occurred. In six lightning days, Israel vanquished all her foes and saw her enemies flee before her. The stories of the many miracles that took place in those days are legion and have yet to be recorded in the annals of history.

When the war began on June 5, 1967, the miracles quickly unfolded. The Israeli Air Force went forth on a hazardous mission. The Egyptians had prepared hundreds of missiles for their attack on Israel, but before their planes could take off or their missiles could be launched, Israel destroyed the combined air power of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, and Iraq! Israel, with her outdated French Super Mystere fighters, destroyed the most sophisticated Russian MIGs on the ground.

Miracles are part of God's architectural plan. God does not have to overturn the laws of nature or create something that never before existed.

Many tried to explain the Israel Air Force's success rationally: "The Israelis flew below the Egyptian radar" – "Egyptian intelligence reports on the advancing Israeli aircraft never reached the Egyptian Commander in Chief" – "The night before Israel attacked, there was a big bash for the Egyptian brass, and early the next morning, the Egyptians met with a distinguished Iraqi delegation, so when Israel struck, the Egyptian High Command was not at its post," and so on.

But miracles do not mean that God has to overturn the laws of nature or create something that never before existed. On the contrary, miracles are part of God's architectural plan. On the sixth day, as God was about to complete His creation, He added supernatural events, making miracles part of nature. Nature itself is a miracle in which God's hand is constantly manifest. The very fact that Egyptian radar did not detect the Israeli planes, that intelligence reports failed to reach the proper ears, that commanding officers were busy partying on the night prior to the attack and were again diverted the following morning by a high level meeting with Iraqis, were all coincidences that were not coincidences, but miracles of God.

I have often had discussions with people who insisted that the miracle of the splitting of the Reed Sea was not a miracle at all, but low tide. Instead of arguing, I would tell them that, if the tide was low at the precise moment that the Jewish people had to cross, and suddenly rose again when the Egyptians entered the sea, that was miracle enough for me!

Call it what you will, but all the well-laid plans of the Arabs, the Russians, and their hate-mongering supporters, were foiled. As in days of yore, when Pharaoh and his host drowned in the sea while Israel went forth to the Promised Land, so too, Nasser, the modern Pharaoh, and his cohorts drowned and the Jewish people went forth to reclaim their ancient land.

When God's miracles are hidden in natural events, when we are far removed from spirituality, miracles can be dismissed as "luck," "coincidence," or just smart moves made by clever people.

As generations move farther away from that awesome spiritual moment when God spoke at Sinai, they also become less spiritual, less capable of believing in His involvement in their daily lives. But nature itself is no less miraculous than the supernatural. This concept is reinforced throughout our Torah and prayers. For example, in the second blessing of Shemoneh Esrei, the Silent Meditation, in which we praise God for bringing souls back to life, we also pronounce the blessing for rain, teaching us that one is no more difficult for God than the other.

There is a famous story in the Talmud about Rabbi Chanina's daughter, who was heartbroken when she discovered that she had mistakenly bought vinegar rather than oil for the Sabbath lamps.

"Don't worry, my daughter," the Rabbi assured her. "The same God Who decrees that oil should burn, can command that vinegar should do so as well." Hence the popular Yiddish saying, "If God wills it, a broom can shoot, but if not, even the most powerful weapon is of no avail."

A close study of the Torah will reveal that supernatural miracles are always couched in the natural: God feeds us manna in the desert, but He sandwiches the manna between two layers of dew so that their freshness appears natural. Prior to his death, God tells Moses to ascend to the mountain so that he may behold the entire land of Israel and the future history of our people.

But why? Why did Moses have to ascend to the mountain top to see all that? After all, it wasn't the height of the mountain that granted him vision. Nevertheless, the Almighty wished for Moses to ascend, thus clothing the supernatural in the natural.

And even the oft-quoted miracle of the splitting of the Reed Sea – this, too, was presented in the framework of the natural. The Torah tells us that an east wind blew the entire night prior to the onset of that miracle. Now surely, God could have split the sea without the east wind blowing. Nevertheless, God wanted us to understand that nature is equally miraculous.

Once we were exiled from our Holy Land, however, the equation changed. God's miracles became hidden, and the Purim story is a prime example of that. At first glance, there is nothing miraculous about the events that unfold in the Book of Esther. Everything could be attributed to natural causes, and to add to the enigma, God's Name is not even mentioned in the Megillah. Yet we know that the story of Purim is a miracle of colossal dimensions, so much so that our Sages declared it a holiday for all eternity, when we proclaim God's miracles with rejoicing, gratitude, and thanksgiving.

If, however, someone wishes to take the path of the agnostic, he can remain blind to God's role in history and deny that there is anything miraculous in that which unfolds before his very eyes. The choice is his or hers to make. Thus, if you wish, you can see the miracles inherent in the survival of the Jewish people – the ingathering of the exiles, the redemption of the soil, Israel's stunning victories in battle – or you can choose to ignore them all and declare them to be "ordinary events."

Our fate as Jews is not contingent on miracles, but on commitment.

Having said all this, I must point out that our fate as Jews is not contingent on miracles, but on commitment – Torah study, service and sacrifice. Whether we see God's beneficence or feel the sting of His rod, our loyalty remains constant.

If so, you might ask, what is the purpose of miracles? There are two popular words in the Hebrew language for miracles, "nes" and "os." Literally translated, "nes" means a "banner" and "os" means a "sign." Miracles serve as banners and signs through which God's Holy Name is glorified and sanctified – banners and signs that inspire people to sing His praises. And that was accomplished above and beyond all expectations during the Six Day War. The banners flew high, and we all saw the signs. There was a great Jewish spiritual awakening throughout the world – even if, shortly afterward, we reverted to our old ways. But those signs are there even if we have lost sight of them, and it is that which I would like to recall for us and for future generations in this, my concluding chapter.

THE MIRACLE OF JERUSALEM

As a little girl in Hungary, I knew very little of world geography. I had never heard of Paris, New York, or London, but I knew all about Jerusalem. The very words evoked a song in my soul and joy in my heart. It is written that Jerusalem received her name from the Almighty God Himself. It is comprised of two words: yira, to see, and shalem, which means peace, complete. When the patriarch Abraham ascended to Mount Moriah with his son Isaac, and perceived its sanctity, he proclaimed, "This is the place where God was seen!" And indeed, in Jerusalem you can feel and see holiness – you can feel God. It is like no other city. Throughout our long and painful exile, we never forgot her, but sang the immortal words of David, "If I forget you O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning...."

And Jerusalem, the Holy City, never forgot us, her children, but waited in solitude for our return.

In the early fifties, I made my first trip to Israel. I went to study and to teach newly arrived immigrants from Yemen. In those days, Jerusalem was a divided city. To see the Holy Wall in the Old City, we had to climb the tower of the YMCA building located opposite the King David Hotel, and there, armed with a pair of binoculars, we were able to catch a glimpse. The Old City was occupied by the Jordanian army, which savagely destroyed many of the gravesites on the Mount of Olives and used the monuments to pave roads and build latrines. Officially, Jordan had agreed that Jews would have the right to pray at the Wall, the only remnant of our ancient Temple, but they never kept that promise and defiled that holy site with refuse and the dung of donkeys.

Of all the Arab armies, Jordan's Arab Legion was the best trained and fiercest. Moreover, the border with Jordan was the most difficult to defend, so it was no surprise that, when King Hussein's army first attacked, the Israeli military was convinced that the shots were just tokens to accommodate Nasser, and that Hussein would not risk war. But Jordan kept pounding away, its artillery and bullets raining upon Jerusalem. Still, Israel requested the UN Truce Supervision Office to convey to Jordan assurances of peace. But it was all to no avail, and Israel had no choice but to open a second front. The Jordanians possessed hundreds of Patton tanks, and tens of thousands of Legionnaires, powerful warriors, equipped with the most sophisticated weapons, who were prepared to fight to the end. The battles were fierce and savage, made all the more complicated by orders given to Israeli paratroopers to avoid damaging the many sites in the Old City. Many brave young men were injured or lost their lives – the sacrifice was great, but so were the miracles.

The Holy City was not prepared for battle. There were hardly any bomb shelters to protect the civilian population. Shells fell and did not explode, and many that fell and did explode caused no injury. A shell landed on Shaarei Tzedek Hospital's baby nursery. Fearing the worst, nurses rushed in to save the infants, but miraculously, they were all unharmed. A shell penetrated the roof of the Mirrer Yeshivah but did not explode.

Over the centuries, Jerusalem was ravaged and sacked many times, but God made a promise that the Wall, the remnant of the Holy Temple, would stand eternally and bear witness to the homecoming of our people. And now, almost two thousand years later, the moment had come. I have read countless reports from journalists and soldiers who participated in the battle for Jerusalem, and all their stories had one focus – "the Wall."

Moshe Amirav, a paratrooper, describes the first minutes at the Wall: "Forward! Forward! Hurriedly, we pushed our way through the Magreb Gate, and suddenly we stopped, thunderstruck. There it was, before our eyes! Gray and massive, silent and restrained. The Western Wall!

"Slowly, slowly, I began to approach the Wall in fear and trembling, like a pious cantor going to the lectern to lead the prayers. I approached it as the messenger of my father and my grandfather, of my great-grandfather and of all the generations in all the exiles who had never merited seeing it – and so they had sent me to represent them. Somebody recited the festive blessing, 'Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, Who has kept us alive and maintained us and brought us to this time.' I put my hand on the stones and wept, but the tears that started to flow were not my tears. They were the tears of all Israel, tears of hope and prayer, tears of Hasidic tunes, tears of Jewish dances, tears that scorched and burned the heavy gray stone."

And who can forget the photograph of our soldiers standing in awe – just looking up at the Wall? And who can forget the report of the IDF radio announcer: "...Suddenly, we recognized the familiar voice of the commander of the paratroops brigade, Colonel Mordechai 'Motta' Gur, giving orders to the battalion commanders to occupy the Old City: 'Attention, all battalion commanders! We are sitting on the mountain range that looks down on the Old City, and are about to enter it. The Old City of Jerusalem that all generations have been dreaming about and striving toward. We will be the first to enter it.'

"With us on the roof," the announcer continued, "was General Shlomo Goren, at that time, the Chief Rabbi of the Israeli Army. Rabbi Goren informed Gur over the walkie talkie that he was on his way to meet him so as to be among the first to enter the Old City. As far as I remember, we were the only ones in the whole area running without helmets or weapons. Goren was armed only with a shofar and a prayer book and we carried only a tape recorder and a knapsack filled with batteries and rolls of recording tape.

"We ran, while trying to stay as close as we could to the Old City Wall to our right, but exposed to the sniper fire coming from the Mount of Olives on our left. As we ran, we passed two lines of paratroopers who were progressing carefully toward the Lions Gate. Goren was determined to get to the head of the line as quickly as possible. At the top of the street leading to the Lions Gate, we passed a still-smoking Jordanian bus. We stopped only at the Gate itself, which was blocked by an Israeli Sherman tank that had gotten stuck in the entrance. We climbed over the tank and entered into the Old City.

"Now the excitement reached its peak. Goren did not stop blowing the shofar and reciting prayers. His enthusiasm infected the soldiers, and from every direction came cries of 'Amen!'"

The shofar was sounded in Jerusalem and its call reached Jewish hearts in the four corners of the world. The effect was magical. Our people became spiritually rejuvenated. Even those who had never believed, those who were hardened agnostics, felt something in their hearts. The Wall called them, and despite themselves, they felt a need to respond, to touch its stones, to place a note with a prayer in its crevices, to pour out their hearts and cry.

My husband and I made a decision. We knew that no matter what, we too had to be there, and so we took our four small children and traveled to Jerusalem. The city was congested with people – there wasn't a hotel room to be had. For a moment, I panicked, but then my husband reminded me of the teaching of our Talmud: In Jerusalem, no one ever complained of discomfort, in the City of God, every man had a place, everyone was welcome.

It was Friday, Erev Shabbos, when we arrived, and there was no time to lose – the Queen Sabbath was quickly approaching and the entire city was readying herself for the arrival of the royal guest. Everywhere, stores were closing and public transportation was coming to a halt. As the siren was sounded, a stillness descended on the Holy City.

Suddenly, scores of people spilled into the streets. They came from every direction: young and old, men and women, Israelis and tourists, students and soldiers, pious Chassidim in long black coats and westernized Jews in business suits. They spoke in many tongues, espoused many ideas, and wondrously, they all merged into one. All of them were rushing, running to the same place, to the Wall.

We too, melted into the crowd. We didn't know our way, but we followed the others. My heart beat faster and I clutched my children's hands. I saw tears in my husband's eyes. We were in Jerusalem.

"Jerusalem's time has come," I answered, "and God Himself opened the gates."

We made our way through the dark alleyways. My son tugged at my sleeve. "Eema," he asked, "how did our soldiers do it? How did they liberate the city? How did they get through these gates, these alleys?"

"Jerusalem's time has come," I answered, "and God Himself opened the gates."

Then suddenly, without warning, the Wall was before us, more majestic than I could ever have imagined. We could not speak; there were only tears. For two thousand years we had waited for this moment. Our ancestors had prayed for this day. What would they not have given to stand here, even for a fleeting second, and yet they were denied the privilege. How strange that our generation, which was unworthy and wanting in faith, was the one to stand here in the presence of sanctity.

I looked up at the Heavens and searched for my grandfather. Surely the angels had gathered his ashes from Auschwitz and brought them as an offering to this very spot.

"Zeide, Zeide," I cried into the night, "please walk with me, for here I cannot stand alone."

All around us, people were praying and our voices became one with theirs. I poured out my soul. I looked up at the greenery sprouting from the crevices. Strange, I thought to myself, how these little branches grow without being watered. But then I saw the people around me and I understood from whence the branches received their nourishment. They were watered by the tears of a nation that had been waiting for two thousand years.

Walking back to our hotel we met a young soldier who had been among those who liberated Jerusalem. He told us about his best friend who had fallen on the Temple Mount on the very spot where once, long ago, the Altar had stood.

"I ran to my friend," he told us. "I tried to help him, but it was too late. I broke down and wept, and as I cried, I heard an eerie sound. It was the braying of a donkey echoing in the night. The donkey actually seemed to sob with me, crying in pain as if imploring to be allowed to carry Messiah into the Holy City."

Never before in the annals of mankind did a war last only six days.

Coincidence? Or was the seventh day begging to come? The seventh day that is all Sabbath, the day that is Messiah.

For a very brief moment, it appeared as if our people might just understand and be prepared to respond to this awesome challenge. But all too soon, the magic of the moment evaporated, and once again, we failed the test.

We reverted to our old ways – we congratulated ourselves on our success and came to take all those miracles for granted. Those of us who lived it have forgotten, and those who were not yet born were never touched by it.

The fundamental law of Jewish survival stipulates that we cannot assimilate or become "like all the other nations of the world." This law holds true not only in the countries of our exile, but in Israel as well. God did not bring us back to our ancient land so that we might become like all the other nations and convert Jerusalem into New York, Paris, or London.

Just consider the tragedy that has befallen us. To live in the Land of the Patriarchs and yet spurn their legacy; to speak Hebrew impeccably, and yet not know how to pray; to live in the Land of God, and yet lack faith in Him.

We have failed the test.

But even if we failed the test, even if we forgot God, He does not forget us. His covenant and love are eternal and He will continue to call us. If we are blind to His miracles, He will find other ways to awaken us. So it is that since those heady days of the Six Day War, we have suffered many painful wake-up calls, but sadly, we have remained impervious to all. Nevertheless, God continues to call. Many of us have heard the call, many are committed and live genuine Torah lives, but there are still so, so many who have yet to hear the call.

As we enter the final stages of our history, we have a choice – to stand straight and tall, to embrace with open arms and loving hearts our God-given covenant and sing His praise, or to continue to be blind and obdurate and delude ourselves into believing that we can live our lives without Him. But even as we stumble through the darkness, He will be holding our hand. He will not let go. He will not forget us. He will not forsake us. So let us return to Him with willing hearts, with love. Let us pass our test.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis is founder and president of Hineni, as well as a lecturer, radio and television personality, newspaper columnist, and author of "Jewish Soul On Fire" (Wm. Morrow), "The Committed Life," "The Committed Marriage" (HarperCollins) and "Life Is A Test" (Mesorah/Art Scroll).

Visitor Comments: 18

i was moved after reading "performing miracles". but i don't know why i love everything about Israel. i am from Ghana

(16)
Abraham,
July 29, 2013 1:27 PM

This reads like a beautiful poem...

From the ashes of Auschwitz we rose like a phoenix, and, by the grace of God, reinvented ourselves as a nation. We rebuilt the Torah academies that were once the pride and glory of European Jewry and raised a new generation of sons and daughters to live by the Law of God.
After almost 2,000 years, we returned to our ancient land, and we, the dry bones of the Holocaust, were joined by Jews from the four corners of the world. They came from the most remote places – places where we were unaware that Jews even existed – the sick, the lame, the battered, the downtrodden, the poor, and the broken-hearted – they all came. And also the strong, the wise, the learned, the successful, the idealistic. Together, we formed a mighty company and were witness to the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophetic ingathering of the exiles.
"Fear not, My people, Israel, for I am with you. I will bring your seed from the east and gather them from the west, and I will say to the north, 'give up,' and to the south, 'Keep not back, bring My sons from afar and My daughters from the ends of the earth" (Isaiah 43:5-6).
Almost brings a tear to the eye...

(15)
Carlos Perdomo,
July 25, 2013 10:29 PM

Wow!

What a message. This message should be read in every school in Israel.

(14)
Miriam,
July 25, 2013 8:04 PM

Rebbitzen Jungreis helped transform my life

Life is a Test is one of the 10 most influential books that changed my thinking and my life. I can never thank Rebbitzen Jungreis enough for relating her wisdom and her love of Am Yisroel to the thousands of lives she has touched.

(13)
ruth housman,
July 25, 2013 4:28 PM

it is not one OR the other

Divine Providence presents as coincidence! This small life is proof and I have a profound story to tell. It is All God.
I am waiting for God to open the Gates of Consciousness on a story I did not write.. A story that will take us through The East Gate to The Wailing Wall. We have been out Sourced and God, always in the wings, wrote us into the most amazing story ever told. How do I know? I have been recording this story, a gift, for a long time, coming in the side door. My life is visibly, not random. I see going down all the years a deep connectivity that brought me to this place at this time. This is a Love Story.

(12)
Lynne,
July 25, 2013 3:06 PM

Words that come from the heart enter the heart.

Once again you have taught and inspired me. Thank you.

(11)
wilfred delali anderson,
June 20, 2012 10:54 AM

woderful . in fact at times our faith get weak .stories like this rekindle our faith in God all mighty.thank you very much.

(10)
Charles Thompson,
March 25, 2007 2:29 PM

six day war cannon miracle

I heard a story that during that war, a sophictated cannon was aimed at Isreal. The cannon would not fire. Isreali troops were approaching the site of the cannon. The enemy fled. When the Isreali troops came to the cannon, they turned it towards the enemy position, and it fired flawlessly. Is this story true?

(9)
Cathy,
February 9, 2007 9:04 AM

It's up to us.

From what I have internalized over time through my studies and my readings, there is a "program" in the macrocosm that we ourselves have set in place, in this lifetime and in previous lifetimes, through our actions and our speech. The Light (God) is all around us, waiting for us to connect. We can connect with it by following the Torah and applying its principles to ALL other human beings and all other living creatures. If we do this, we establish a connection with the Light. This connection will begin to change the program that is written "in the stars," and as long as we maintain that connection through our thoughts, words, and deeds, miracles will take place.

(8)
FERN SIDMAN,
January 2, 2007 10:41 PM

Rebbetzin Jungreis hits the nail on the head

Rebbetzin Jungreis spoke directly about Miracles being test tonight at her book signing at Barnes and Noble on Manhattans' upper West Side. There was a fantastic turnout with hundreds of people attending to hear Rebbetzin Jungreis' words of Torah wisdom. The audience was spellbound by her words and there was many a tear shed. After her speech, the audience lined up to have her sign their book. It was a night that I will not forget.

(7)
Arendovich,
December 28, 2006 10:29 AM

My faith is weak but this writing give me more strenght

Thank you for taking the time to remind us about the All Mighty's promises and his work.

(6)
georgetrenholm,
December 20, 2006 12:08 PM

god is alive and well

a super article. a "must read" for everyone, jews,christians & agnostics of all flavors.

(5)
FERNSIDMAN,
December 19, 2006 11:08 PM

Review of "Life Is A Test"

Prozac, Zoloft, Wellbutrin, move over. Your days are numbered. The pharmaceutical industry will lose billions in revenue after readers get their hands on this book. Simply put, Rebbetzin Esther Jungreis' new book, "Life Is a Test - How To Meet Life's Challenges Successfully," (Mesorah Publications) is the spiritual equivalent to the myriad of anti-depressants on the market. There is no question that Rebbetzin Jungreis has her finger on the pulse of the people. I would surmise that from her vast experience counseling those facing a multitude of challenges that life presents, she decided to write this book as an answer to a collective cry for help from a lost generation, totally unequipped to understand the true meaning behind life's trials and tests. Fear not reader, for it is Rebbetzin Jungreis to the rescue. Your soul is about to get the ultimate work out, so get ready to stretch your spiritual muscles and become reinvigorated as you read "Life Is A Test".

This is Rebbetzin Jungreis' fourth book and its magnitude of depth, focus and analysis of our personal and communal struggles sets it apart from any other treatises on this subject. It is written as a trilogy, combining three books in one and takes the reader on a trajectory that is permeated with such a genuine sense of warmth and love that can only be termed palpable. In a society immersed in grotesque materialism, decadence and loss of any real and meaningful direction and purpose, we are clueless about what life is really about and more importantly, who we really are and what our potential could be. Rebbetzin Jungreis is the consummate storyteller and it is through this treasure trove of true stories do we begin to understand that our identity is not inextricably tied to our careers or professions or the external superficialities that our culture imposes upon us.

Anonymous,
July 25, 2013 1:05 PM

Depression is a disease, and as such can not be cured by reading a book, no more than cancer can be cured by reading a book, no matter how good or true the book may be.

(4)
raye,
December 18, 2006 9:08 AM

A heartfelt message in time of need

So far my two years in Israel has been frought with the ups and downs that befall an Olah Hadashah, especially one who is alone. At times, people have been warm, loving and helpful. Other times, people who should know better have been thoughtless and harmful. The Test has indeed been great, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.What the future holds is up to G-d.

(3)
GillHughes-Wilson,
December 17, 2006 5:03 PM

What an inspiring piece!

I am a practising Christian, but I love reading the aish website, and this is only one of many pieces that I have read that bring me closer to my Jewish brothers and sisters.

(2)
PatrickDua(Dr),
December 17, 2006 11:18 AM

Comment on Esther's wonderful article

Reading Esther's superb article of inspiration brought tears to my eyes at several junctures: "Divine Providence or coincidence? The choice -- and challenge â€“ is yours."

I am submitting these comments because the article brought back several memories of my childhood in my native Ghana (West Africa). My intention is just to address this particular conclusion of the writer in brief:

["In short, the entire world was arrayed against Israel, and the Arabs were armed to the teeth.Conventional wisdom saw Israel's defeat as a foregone conclusion."]***In fact, while I fully understand the sentiments from which the writer reaches this conclusion, I only wish the following to be known too: My illiterate grandmother - who died at the age of 109 in 1992 - did spend the entire 6 days of the war praying in silence for Israel and the city of Jerusalem, which she believed to be in heaven rather than on earth in the Middle East...And by the way, we (i.e. my family and myself) are Roman Catholics - and black African!

(1)
Anonymous,
December 17, 2006 10:58 AM

Beautiful...very touching...trust it will be read by those who most need to hear its message.

I live in rural Montana where the Cholov Yisrael milk is difficult to obtain and very expensive. So I drink regular milk. What is your view on this?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Jewish law requires that there be rabbinic supervision during the milking process to ensure that the milk comes from a kosher animal. In the United States, many people rely on the Department of Agriculture's regulations and controls as sufficiently stringent to fulfill the rabbinic requirement for supervision.

Most of the major Kashrut organizations in the United States rely on this as well. You will therefore find many kosher products in America certified with a 'D' next to the kosher symbol. Such products – unless otherwise specified on the label – are not Cholov Yisrael and are assumed kosher based on the DOA's guarantee.

There are many, however, do not rely on this, and will eat only dairy products that are designated as Cholov Yisrael (literally, "Jewish milk"). This is particularly true in large Jewish communities, where Cholov Yisrael is widely available.

Rabbi Moshe Feinstein wrote that under limited conditions, such as an institution which consumes a lot of milk and Cholov Yisrael is generally unavailable or especially expensive, American milk is acceptable, as the government supervision is adequate to prevent non-kosher ingredients from being added.

It should be added that the above only applies to milk itself, which is marketed as pure cow's milk. All other dairy products, such as cheeses and butter, may contain non-kosher ingredients and always require kosher certification. In addition, Rabbi Feinstein's ruling applies only in the United States, where government regulations are considered reliable. In other parts of the world, including Europe, Cholov Yisrael is a requirement.

There are additional esoteric reasons for being stringent regarding Cholov Yisrael, and because of this it is generally advisable to consume only Cholov Yisroel dairy foods.

In 1889, 800 Jews arrived in Buenos Aires, marking the birth of the modern Jewish community in Argentina. These immigrants were fleeing poverty and pogroms in Russia, and moved to Argentina because of its open door policy of immigration. By 1920, more than 150,000 Jews were living in Argentina. Juan Peron's rise to power in 1946 was an ominous sign, as he was a Nazi sympathizer with fascist leanings. Peron halted Jewish immigration to Argentina, introduced mandatory Catholic religious instruction in public schools, and allowed Argentina to become a haven for fleeing Nazis. (In 1960, Israeli agents abducted Adolf Eichmann from a Buenos Aires suburb.) Today, Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America with 250,000, though terror attacks have prompted many young people to emigrate. In 1992, the Israeli Embassy in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 32 people. In 1994, the Jewish community headquarters in Buenos Aires was bombed, killing 85 people. The perpetrators have never been apprehended.

Be aware of what situations and behaviors give you pleasure. When you feel excessively sad and cannot change your attitude, make a conscious effort to take some action that might alleviate your sadness.

If you anticipate feeling sad, prepare a list of things that might make you feel better. It could be talking to a specific enthusiastic individual, running, taking a walk in a quiet area, looking at pictures of family, listening to music, or reading inspiring words.

While our attitude is a major factor in sadness, lack of positive external situations and events play an important role in how we feel.

[If a criminal has been executed by hanging] his body may not remain suspended overnight ... because it is an insult to God (Deuteronomy 21:23).

Rashi explains that since man was created in the image of God, anything that disparages man is disparaging God as well.

Chilul Hashem, bringing disgrace to the Divine Name, is one of the greatest sins in the Torah. The opposite of chilul Hashem is kiddush Hashem, sanctifying the Divine Name. While this topic has several dimensions to it, there is a living kiddush Hashem which occurs when a Jew behaves in a manner that merits the respect and admiration of other people, who thereby respect the Torah of Israel.

What is chilul Hashem? One Talmudic author stated, "It is when I buy meat from the butcher and delay paying him" (Yoma 86a). To cause someone to say that a Torah scholar is anything less than scrupulous in meeting his obligations is to cause people to lose respect for the Torah.

Suppose someone offers us a business deal of questionable legality. Is the personal gain worth the possible dishonor that we bring not only upon ourselves, but on our nation? If our personal reputation is ours to handle in whatever way we please, shouldn't we handle the reputation of our nation and the God we represent with maximum care?

Jews have given so much, even their lives, for kiddush Hashem. Can we not forego a few dollars to avoid chilul Hashem?

Today I shall...

be scrupulous in all my transactions and relationships to avoid the possibility of bringing dishonor to my God and people.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...